Building on the recent announcement of the formation of a Dosage Form Solutions (DFS) business unit, Capsugel announced on March 1 that it has acquired Scotland-based Encap Drug Delivery. Encap’s focus on liquid and semi-solid encapsulation-based product development, and clinical and commercial manufacturing for the pharmaceutical industry, complements Capsugel’s DFS business unit, the company reports in a press release describing the acquisition.

Encap operates an FDA- and MHRA-inspected pharmaceutical product development and manufacturing site, is equipped to handle high potency active ingredients, and has established a clinical fast-track program that can speed the process from lab to clinic. Additionally, Encap’s proprietary targeted release technologies (DuoCap and ENCODE) and abuse deterrence technologies (Abusolve) will add to Capsugel’s offerings in these areas.

“Encap’s capabilities and offerings align seamlessly with our DFS business unit, which is focused on lipid-based formulations and targeted release capsules,” says Guido Driesen, President & CEO of Capsugel. “This acquisition will accelerate the growth of DFS and further strengthen our leadership position in liquid-filled formulations in hard capsules.”

Amit Patel, President of Capsugel DFS, adds, “The combination of DFS and Encap creates greater depth and breadth of our technology platforms, product development capabilities, and manufacturing infrastructure, which will collectively enhance our ability to improve our healthcare customers’ products in areas such as bioavailability, stability, dosing and delivery, and overall time-to-market.”